Charlie Kirk had furiously spoken out against what he called "bullying" from Jewish donors and said he was "considering leaving the pro-Israel cause" before his death, it has been revealed. It came after Candace Owens shared a screenshot showing Kirk venting in a group chat, upset that Jewish donors were withdrawing support because of his association with Tucker Carlson.
Turning Point spokesman Andrew Kolvet confirmed on Tuesday's episode of The Charlie Kirk Show that the screenshots were genuine. In the messages, Kirk complained that a Jewish donor had withdrawn a $2 million contribution from his organization after he refused to remove Carlson from the lineup of the upcoming AmericaFest event.
Jewish Revolt
"Just lost another huge Jewish donor," Kirk wrote. "$2 million a year because we won't cancel Tucker. I'm thinking of inviting Candace. Jewish donors play into all the stereotypes. I cannot and will not be bullied like this."
Kirk concludes: "Leaving me no choice but to leave the pro Israel cause."
Owens says the screenshots were sent by Kirk just two days before he was killed while speaking to students at Utah Valley University, though Kolvet has not confirmed that timing.
A few days after Kirk's death, Carlson told his audience that a major donor had withdrawn funding from the organization two days before the murder because Kirk refused to disinvite him from this year's AmericaFest conference scheduled for December.
Owens, who has gained attention recently for promoting unfounded conspiracy theories about Kirk's death, is also known for her criticism of Israel and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The FBI has arrested 22-year-old Tyler Robinson as the prime suspect in Kirk's murder. If convicted, he could face the death penalty in Utah.
In September, Carlson had also shared that Kirk had frequently expressed negative views on Netanyahu.
"He did not like Bibi Netanyahu and he said that to me many times and he said to people around him many times. He felt that Bibi Netanyahu was a very destructive force," Carlson said.
Not Canceling Carlson
Carlson explained that Kirk's criticism of Netanyahu stemmed from his belief that the United States was being drawn into wars on Israel's behalf. The former Fox News host also added that "a small, very intense group" relentlessly targeted Kirk, harassing him up until the day he died.
The news of Kirk's growing criticism of Israel comes as a surprise, given that the 31-year-old had long been viewed as a leading evangelical supporter of the country within the conservative movement.
Kirk often traveled to Israel for both religious and political events, and it was there that he first met his wife, Erika, before their relationship began.
Kolvet, one of Kirk's closest confidants, said he was aware of the text messages but initially chose not to make them public, explaining, "It was a private exchange... I wanted to not betray my friend's trust."
The Turning Point spokesman added that shortly after Kirk's assassination, he did share the messages with government officials, determined to leave "no stone unturned."
